It is mischievous to say Madiba sold out: Madonsela

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela briefs reporters in Pretoria, Thursday, 14 July 2011 on her probe into allegations of maladministration relating to the lease of police office space. She found that the tender process followed was flawed and that the way SAPS identified the buildings they wanted to lease was also flawed. Picture: SAPA stringer

“If we had not made certain concessions, we may still be fighting the way Palestine and Israel are fighting to do. The way forward has to include some concessions,” the former Public Protector explains.

She insists that Tata Madiba was not a chief negotiator during Apartheid.

“We all negotiated. You can’t reduce the settlement to Mandela. Mandela was not a judge who had the final word. He was the captain of a team.

“It is totally mischievous to reduce such a huge project to one person. He never pretended that he was responsible for everything that happened. It was a generation, it was never one person,” Madonsela adds.

Madonsela and Tabane’s conversation marks what would have been Madiba’s 100th birthday on 18 July.

Madiba’s legacy

The legacy of Mandela is a legacy of a resolute pursuit of social justice, inclusiveness and peace, Madonsela points out.

“If I look at what Madiba did, he was trying to create a society where everyone can be the best they can be, a society in which all people, no matter their differences, could live in harmony.”

She says Madiba had a prosperity mentality that we can all win.

“Some of our leaders try to play the blame game and pass the buck as a way of diverting attention from the things they fail to do.

“There are places where we haven’t really made democracy work for all.

“We have to stop playing the blame game. Even the mean-spiritedness of blaming Madiba for our shortfalls, we really need to stop that.”